7
‘How do I look?’ Aidan asked Bo the following evening, turning from the bedroom mirror and spreading his arms wide.
Bo looked up from her position on the bed, chin propped on her hand. ‘You look fancy! Where are you going?’
‘I’m just going out for dinner with a woman.’ Following his mother’s instructions, his sister Cara had immediately thrown herself into matchmaking and had already set him up on a date, so he’d had to cancel the pub with Owen.
‘Who?’ She clambered off the bed and came to stand beside him.
‘You don’t know her. Neither do I, actually.’
Bo’s eyes travelled over his clothes again. ‘You’re going on a date!’ she announced excitedly.
Aidan rolled his eyes. She watched too much TV. ‘What do you know about dates?’
‘Are you?’
‘Well… yeah. Is that okay with you?’
Bo lifted both shoulders to her ears in a shrug. ‘Yeah, it’s okay. It’s a bit funny, though.’
Aidan turned from the mirror to look down at her. ‘What’s funny about it?’
‘Dads don’t go on dates.’
‘Really?’
Bo shook her head. ‘They just go out with the mum. On date night.’
Definitely way too much TV. ‘But that’s because they’re married. I’m not married to your mum, am I?’ He didn’t even know where Astrid was, so good luck to him if she was his only option.
Bo shook her head.
‘I’m not married to anyone, so I’m allowed go on dates, even though I’m a dad. That’s how people find someone to get married to.’
‘So are you getting married to this lady? After your date?’
Aidan laughed. ‘Steady on. I haven’t even met her yet. There might not even be a second date.’
‘Are you afraid she won’t like you?’
Aidan’s lips twitched. ‘Maybe I’m afraid I won’t like her.’
Bo frowned, pursing her lips. ‘Is she pretty?’
‘I think so.’ He’d only seen some pictures on social media, but unless they’d been touched up and filtered beyond all recognition, this woman Cara had set him up with was very attractive.
‘Then why would you not like her?’
Aidan smiled. If only it were that simple. ‘Because maybe she’s not a nice person. Or maybe we won’t like the same things.’
‘Well, definitely don’t marry her if she’s not nice.’
‘Great advice. Thanks, Bo.’
They heard the front door open. ‘Nana!’ Bo exclaimed and ran out to meet Sheena, who was going to babysit for the evening. Aidan heard her running into the hall and the two ofthem coming back into the living room chattering together. He went out to join them.
‘You look nice,’ Sheena said to him.
